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All it takes to sideline a project car is one critical part. And once that car is parked, life happens, and it can be a very long time before it moves under its own power again, if ever. This Ford Fairlane literally gathered dust for 10 years, but thanks to a creative carburetor solution, it’s driving again. Not as well as it could be, granted, but you’ve gotta take your wins where you can get them.
Luke, host of the ThunderHead289 YouTube channel, has been testing lawnmower carbs on car engines for a few years. And when he decided to get the Fairlane running again, he happened to have one sitting on his workbench. Adding to the difficulty level, the tiny carb is feeding not just a thirsty V8, but one with a supercharger attached.
ThunderHead289 via YouTube
Just getting the lawnmower carb to work required some improvisation. The carb was designed to be gravity-fed, but running a car engine necessitated at least some pressurization. The carb was plumbed to a temporary fuel system choked down to a pressure (1.5-2 psi) that the carb can handle by a regulator. Because this is just a temporary solution, the engine runs off a small fuel tank located in the front passenger footwell. The battery is also temporarily located there, which is why it’s a good thing Luke also brought a fire extinguisher along. Fuel and a potential ignition source in such close quarters is decidedly risky.
In the video, the engine fires right up and runs smoothly at idle. Luke has it hooked up to the Carb Cheater app to monitor everything. However, the carb can’t move enough air to keep the engine running smoothly at speed, let alone get the supercharger turning and producing boost. If anything, the blower is causing drag that’s making it even harder for the little carburetor that could to keep up.
The Final “Lawn Mower Carb on V8” Video I’ll Ever Film (Probably)
It doesn’t take much reasoning to figure out that a comically undersized carburetor will limit power. But it’s impressive that a V8 can run at all with a lawnmower carb. Getting an engine to run with appropriately sized carbs also takes skill, so Luke deserves props for that. This is also very much a temporary setup just to make the car drivable; Luke previously did a more thought-out job on a Ford Maverick with custom parts that was closer to everyday-usable.
And even if it doesn’t drive as well as it should, getting behind the wheel of a car that’s sat for 10 years must feel pretty darn good.
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Stephen has always been passionate about cars, and managed to turn that passion into a career as a freelance automotive journalist. When he’s not handling weekend coverage for The Drive, you can find him looking for a new book to read.
